Paper-box.



V H. HELLWEG.

PAPER BOX.

APPLIGATION IILED FEB. 10, 1913.

Patented Jan.- 5, 1915.

HENRY HELLWEG, or MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin.

PAPER BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 5, 1915.

Application filed February 10, 1918. Serial No. 747,233.

T 0, all whom it may concern:

'Be "t known that I, HENRY HELnwEo, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, have invented a Paper Box, of. which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to paper or pasteboard boxes, and the object which I have in view is to provide a box with self-contained means for readily and quickly fastening the lid in place on the box-body, or the two telescopic members of the box together, as

the case may be, securely and firmly without the aid of a cord; and to provide an improved carrying strap whereby the box may be carried and which will also serve to hold the two members of the box together.

I further aim to provide a pasteboard box which can be used as a cheap and temporary traveling case, and will satisfactorily stand the wear incident to such use.

Heretofore it has been attempted to construct such boxes, but they have had certain disadvantages in practice; the constructions tried have not been practical, either because of their too great expense, too much trouble in opening and closing, or because of parts tearing out in service or the box failing to hold its shape, etc. It is my aim in the present construction to overcome these troubles.

The essential features of my invention by which it is distinguished from all previous inventions consist, first, in aspecial locking-device for securing the two members of the box together; secondly, in a special mode of applying the handle-strap; and thirdly. in the combination of these two features. In a more elaborate form of the invention, I have also shown how a telescoping box can be arranged to have tWo or more different extensions,eachprovided with the essential features of my invention, so that loads of greater or less bulk may be carried in it.

The nature of my invention is best understood from a consideration of the accompanying drawings, which show the most improved form with the following.

In said drawings, Figures 1 and 2 show in plan the two members of a knock down telescoping box laid out flat; Figs. 3 and 4 are similar views of the other two pieces which 0 to form the complete box; Figs. 5, 6 an from the bottom side, a plan, and a transverse median section, of the madup and thereof, taken in connection 7 are respectively a side elevation closed box; Figs. 8, 9 and 10 are respectively a plan, a bottom side elevation, and amedian transverse section, through another and more-elaborate form of box, in closed posit1on,'adapted to be adjusted to variable extension; and Fig. 11 is a fragmentary longitudinal section on a larger scale through the upper middle portion of the box, taken in the median line of the handle-strap and showing the latter in elevation.

The. reference letters refer each to the same part in each figure of the drawings.

The box as illustrated in the drawing is made up of four elements, to Wit, the top member A and bottom member B, which telescope one over the other, the handlestrap C, and the handle-strap lockingpiece D, illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 respectively. For the sake of illustration, the members A and B are illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 as being'of the knock-down type, having on the four sides of the top and bottom sides, a and b, respectively, side-flaps c and end-flaps d, the endfiaps (Z being detachably secured to the sidefiaps c by means of hooked tabs 6 engaging in angular cuts 7 formed in the flaps 0; but such construction is old and well-known and is in no sense essential to my invention; and in Figs. 5 to 10 inclusive, boxes with fixed corners are shown. Also it is to be understood that while the drawings illustrate a telescoping two-piece box, my invention may be also applied to a box having a lid hinged or otherwise permanently attached to the body. The dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 2 represent the lines along which the pasteboard is creased or scored so as to cause it to fold along these lines.

According to my invention I provide at the middle of each side-flap 0 of the top member A, and projecting therefrom, a looking tab g, which has projecting lateral ears h and in some cases preferably a central car '17; these ears being adapted to engage in cuts or slits j, is, formed in the bottom-side b of the bottom-member B. It will be seen therefore from Figs. 5, 6 and 7, that after the top-member A is placed upon the bottom-member B so as to telescope thereover. thus bringing the free edges of the sides substantially on a level with the bottomside I) of the member B. said flaps g are adapted to fold over upon said bottom-side b and to be held in such position by the enill which can be executed in a moment of time.

than to tie a cordand more convenientl around the box. In a dition it may be sald that the lock or fastening so obtalned is much stronger than a cord would be, because the tension comes not merely on the center-line of a boxas in the case of a cord, which tends to break the two members in the middle unless another cord be passed longitudinally of the box, but the effect of the flaps 'g is to distribute the strain for a considerable distance on each side of the median plane and thus hold the box better in shape; and of course the flaps 9 may be made as wide as necessary, having in view the purpose for which the box is designed and the strength and thiclmess of the material of which it is made. In ordinary-sized boxes, made of usual material, the ears i will not be necessary as the stiffness of the material is suflicient to hold the ears h in place of themselves; but for boxes intended for severe service, or where the width of the flaps g is great, it may be advisable to provide them, to engage in the cuts 1:, as shown in Figs. 9 and 10. o

The box as thus far described is complete in itself; but I will now describe my improved carrying means, which is useful by itself and with which the aforesaid lock also cooperates in the manner hereinafter dea slot Z, and in the corresponding side a of.

the member B there are formed two buttonhole slots m m, said buttonhole slots each consisting-0f a square hole and a cut a at the rear of said hole. The handle-strap C is formed to cooperate with these slots, having on its ends T-heads 0, which are too wide to pass through the slots m when seated transversely thereof as shown in Fig. .11, but pass through the slots we when turned longitudinally so as to pass through the cuts n. To facilitate turning one end of the strap C longitudinally through a right angle, it is creased diagonally along the dotted lines 9 It will be noted that the I width of the slots Z and m is the same as that of the strap or middle portion of the member C, and also that the distance between the two slots m m is the same as the length of the slot Z, less twice the thickness of the member C; so that when thehandle C is in lace it is clipped on both sides at its base y the outer and inner edges of the slots Z and m g respectively, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 8 (from which the members C and D are omitted) and also in Fig. 11.

When the box is put together the handlestrap C is held' flat upon the member B until the latter has passed into the member A and the middle portion of the strap C can enter and pass up through the slot Z. It will be now observed that, the ends of the strap being held strictly at right angles to the stress by the ends of the slots Z and m as afore described, said straps cannot turn around and thus expose themselves to the liability of be-.

notches p being the same as that between the two slots m. Hence it will be seen that when the handle is set up in the manner shown in Fig. 11 it will hold its place correctly and firmly and will not be in danger of being torn out. may be used by itself as a lock, still, however, it would not be satisfactory unless the pasteboard forming the members A and B is of considerable stiffness; because when the box is loaded the pasteboard has a tendency to bulge, and in particular the sides 0 tend to separate when the box is carried by the handle-strap C; so that the strain brought Although this handle upon the strap C is not a simple shear upon a plane dividing the two flaps through which it passes, but an oblique tearing action. Consequently it is necessary for effectiveness that the side 0 of the outer member A (or lid) be held closely down upon I the side 0 of the member B-(or body), and this function is fulfilled by my lock or fastening g.

My improved construction also admits providing a telescoping box with various degrees of overlap so as to provide for different sizes of package; and this more elaborate construction is illustrated in Figs. 8, 9 and 10. In this construction the top or outer member A of the box is provided in its upper side 0' with two parallel slots Z of the same shape as the slot Z, the corresponding side 0 of the member B being provided with the slots m the same as before. Also, in place of the flaps 9 there are provided flaps g which are longer and are scored at two or more places for folding over the edge of the member B; and in the bottom-side b of the member B are formed two or more sets of slots j is so placed as to be adapted to receive the ears h z of the flaps g in .the various positions of the latter, corresponding with the different degrees of the extension of the box. Of course it is understood that, while only two extensions are shown in the drawing, as

2. In a telescoping box, the combination with a bottom-member and top -member which telescope one over the other of a pair of flapsprojecting from the free edges of the telescoping sides of said top-member, said flaps being creased along several lines so as to fold along any of said lines over upon the bottom-face of said bottom-member; and a pair of oppositely directed ears carried by each flap; said bottom-member having formed in the bottom side thereof several sets of slots adapted to receive said ears in any of the various positions of extension of the box provided for by the different folding-lines of said flaps.

3. In a paper-box, the combination with members which overlap when in the closed position of the box, of a handle-strap having T-headed ends; said overlapping members having formed therein registering slots through which the shank of said strap passes; the under one of said overlapping members having two buttonhole slots and the upper one thereof having a single closed slot of substantially the same length as the distance between the two buttonhole slots.

4. In a paper-box, the combination with members which overlap when in the closed position of the box, of a handle-strap having T-headed ends; said overlapping members having formed therein registering slots through which the shank of said strap passes; the under one of said overlapping members having two buttonhole slots and the upper one thereof having a single closed slot of substantially the same length as the distance between the two buttonhole slots; in conjunction with a locking-piece comprising a plate-member having its ends notched to engage the ends of the shank of said handle-strap and acting as a strut to hold said ends against the ends of said glosed slot in the upper overlapping-mem- 5. A paper-box having two members which overlap at the free edges in the closed position of the box, said overlapping members having registering slots, and a handlestrap having T-headed ends passing through said slots; in conjunction with a flap on the free edge of the outer overlapping member adapted to fold over the bottom of the box and having means for fastening it in said position.

6. A paper-box having two members which overlap at the free edges in the closed position of the box, said overlapping members having registering slots, and a handlestrap having T -hea-ded ends passing through said slots; in conjunction with a flap on the free edge of the outer overlapping member adapted to fold over the bottom of the box and having means for fastening it in said position, and a handle locking-piece comprising a plate of flexible material notched at its ends to engage around the ends of the shank of said handie-strap and hold them apart.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY I-IELLWEG.

Witnesses:

GEORGE W. Commas, WV. SCHULTZ, Jr. 

